Giulio Cybo

Giulio Cybo (or Cibo) (died May 18, 1548) was an Italian noble from Genoa.

He was the son of Riccarda Malaspina, duchess of Massa and Carrara and Lorenzo Cibo di Ferentillo who changed his name in Cibo-Malaspina, and a nephew of Pope Innocent VIII.

Around 1547 he acquired the duchy of Massa and Carrara by his mother by a payment of 40,000 golden ducats. When he found unable to pay the whole sum, he asked for help to his relative Andrea Doria, admiral and effective ruler of Genoa. Giulio had in March 1546 married Peretta Doria (1526–1591), daughter of Tommaso and sister of Giannettino Doria). When Doria refused, Cybo entered a conspiracy to oust the Admiral from the rule in Genoa, and replace him with a French protectorate.

Cybo was to help Ottobuono Fieschi and other Genoese exiled in Venice to enter the city and kill Doria, the Spanish ambassador and other members of the Doria party. With the help of the pope and Piero Strozzi, the revolt should spread to the whole Italy, with the objective to expel the Spaniards from the country.

The plot was however discovered before its beginning and Cybo was arrested in Pontremoli. Despite the intervention of Cosimo I de' Medici in his favour, he was executed in the May 1548.

See also